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Sommaire du brevet 2369845 

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Disponibilité de l'Abrégé et des Revendications

L'apparition de différences dans le texte et l'image des Revendications et de l'Abrégé dépend du moment auquel le document est publié. Les textes des Revendications et de l'Abrégé sont affichés :

  • lorsque la demande peut être examinée par le public;
  • lorsque le brevet est émis (délivrance).
(12) Demande de brevet: (11) CA 2369845
(54) Titre français: METHODE ET APPAREIL POUR ROBOTIQUE GUIDEE A VISION 3D A CAMERA SIMPLE
(54) Titre anglais: METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SINGLE CAMERA 3D VISION GUIDED ROBOTICS
Statut: Morte
Données bibliographiques
(51) Classification internationale des brevets (CIB):
  • B25J 9/18 (2006.01)
  • G06T 7/80 (2017.01)
  • B25J 9/16 (2006.01)
  • G05B 19/4093 (2006.01)
  • H04N 13/00 (2006.01)
(72) Inventeurs :
  • HABIBI, BABAK (Canada)
  • PESCARU, SIMONA (Canada)
(73) Titulaires :
  • BRAINTECH, INC. (Canada)
(71) Demandeurs :
  • BRAINTECH, INC. (Canada)
(74) Agent: GOWLING WLG (CANADA) LLP
(74) Co-agent:
(45) Délivré:
(22) Date de dépôt: 2002-01-31
(41) Mise à la disponibilité du public: 2003-07-31
Requête d'examen: 2004-02-25
Licence disponible: S.O.
(25) Langue des documents déposés: Anglais

Traité de coopération en matière de brevets (PCT): Non

(30) Données de priorité de la demande: S.O.

Abrégés

Abrégé anglais



A method of three-dimensional handling of an object by a robot using
a tool and one camera mounted on the robot is disclosed in which at least six
target
features which are normal features of the object are selected on the object.

Revendications

Note : Les revendications sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.



-9-

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A method of three-dimensional handling of an object by a robot using
a tool and one camera mounted on the robot, comprising:
i) calibrating the camera by fording
a) the camera intrinsic parameter;
b) the position of the camera relative to the tool of the robot (
"hand - eye " calibration ) and
c) the position of the camera in a space rigid to the place where
the object will be trained;
ii) teaching the object features by
a) putting the object in the "User Frame " space and capturing an
image with the robot in the calibration position where the
"Camera - > User Frame " transformation was calculated;
b) selecting at least one anchor feature from the image and at least
other visible features;
c) calculating the 3D position of each feature in "User Frame"
using the height of the feature relative to the object base plane
and the "Camera - > User Frame " transformation;
d) defining an "Object Space " aligned with the "User Frame "
but connected to the object and transposing the 3D coordinates
of the features into that space;
e) computing the "Object Space -> Camera " transformation
using the 3D position of the features inside this space and the
position in the image;
f) defining an "Object Frame" inside "Object Space " to be used
for teaching the handling path;
g) computing the Object Frame position and orientation in "Tool
Frame" using the transformation from "Object Frame- > Cam-
era " and "Camera -> Tool";
h) sending the "Object Frame " to the robot and training the
handling path inside the "Object Frame";
iii) carrying out object finding and positioning by a) positioning the robot
in a predefined position above the bin containing the target object; b) if no
object is in the field of view, moving the robot until an anchor feature is
found in the image; c) using the position and orientation of the anchor
feature
to compute the position of the remaining set of selected features; d) with the


-10-

positions of features from the image and their correspondent position in
"Object Space"as calculated in the training session, using the camera calibra-
tion to compute the transformation between the "Object Space " and "Camera
Space "; e) using the said transformation to calculate the movement of the
robot to position the camera so that it "looks" orthogonal to the object; f)
finding the "Object Space -> Camera Space" transformation in the same way
as in step d); g) computing the object frame memorized at training using the
found transformation and "Camera - > Tool " transformation; h) sending the
commuted "Object Frame" to the robot; i) using the "Tool" position to define
the frame in "Robot Space" and performing the trained handling on the object
inside the "Robot Space".

Description

Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.


CA 02369845 2002-O1-31
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SINGLE CAMERA 3D
VISION GUIDED ROBOTICS
Technical Field
The invention relates to the field of vision guided robotics, and more
particularly to a method and apparatus for single camera three dimensional
vision
guided robotics.
Back rg ound
Robots have long been widely used in manufacturing processes for
many applications. Many different types of sensors are used to guide the robot
but
machine vision is increasingly being used to guide robots in their tasks.
Typically
such machine vision is used in a two-dimensional application wherein the
target
object need only be located in an x-y plane, using a single camera. For
example see
United States patent no. 4,437,114 LaRussa. However many robotic applications
require the robot to locate and manipulate the target in three dimensions. In
the past
this has involved using two or more cameras. For example see United States
patent
no. 4,146,924 Birk et al.; and United States patent no. 5,959,425 Bieman et
al.
Target points have also been used to assist in determining location in space
of the
target object using single or multiple cameras. See United States patents no.
5,696,673; 5,956,417; 6,044,183 and 6,301,763 all of Pryor. It is important
that
computations be carried out rapidly, with minimum computing power
requirements.
There is therefore a need for a process for single camera three dimensional
vision
guided robotics in which computations can be carried out rapidly and with
minimum
computational power requirements.
Summary of Invention
A method for three-dimensional handling of an object by a robot
using a tool and one camera mounted on the robot is disclosed in which targets
are
used on the object. The process is performed in three main steps:
a) calibration of the camera;
b) teaching the targets on the object;
c) finding the position of the object and using the robot for han-
dung.

CA 02369845 2002-O1-31
-2-
According to one aspect of the invention, the invention provides a
method of three-dimensional handling of an object by a robot using a tool and
one
camera mounted on the robot, comprising:
i) calibrating the camera by finding
a) the camera intrinsic parameter and
b) the position of the camera relative to the tool of the
robot ( "hand - eye " calibration ) and c) the position of the camera in a
space rigid
to the place where the object will be trained;
ii) teaching the object features by
a) putting the object in the "User Frame " space and
capturing an image with the robot in the calibration position where the
"Camera - >
User Frame " transformation was calculated;
b) selecting at least one anchor feature from the image and
at least 5 other visible features;
c) calculating the 3D position of each feature in "User
Frame" using the height of the feature relative to the object base plane and
the
"Camera - > User Frarne" transformation;
d) defining an "Object Space " aligned with the "User
Frame " but connected to the object and transposing the 3D coordinates of the
features into that space;
e) computing the "Object Space - > Camera " transforma-
tion using the 3D position of the features inside this space and the position
in the
image;
f) defining an "Object Frame" inside "Object Space " to
be used for teaching the handling path;
g) computing the Object Frame position and orientation in
"Tool Frame" using the transformation from "Object Frame-> Camera " and "Cam-
era - > Tool";
h) sending the "Object Frame " to the robot and training t-
he handling path inside the "Object Frame";
iii) carrying out object finding and. positioning by
a) positioning the robot in a predefined position above the
bin containing the target object;
b) if no object is in the field of view, moving the robot
until an anchor feature is found in the image;

CA 02369845 2002-O1-31
-3-
c) using the position and orientation of the anchor feature
to compute the position of the remaining set of selected features;
d) with the positions of features from the image and their
correspondent position in "Object Space"as calculated in the training session,
using
the camera calibration to compute the transformation between the "Object Space
"
and "Camera Space ";
e) using the said transformation to calculate the movement
of the robot to position the camera so that it "looks" orthogonal to the
object;
fj fording the "Object Space - > Camera Space" transfor-
oration in the same way as in step d);
g) computing the object frame memorized at training using
the found transformation and "Camera -> Tool " transformation;
h) sending the commuted "Object Frame" to the robot;
i) using the "Tool" position to define the frame in "Robot
Space" and performing the trained handling on the object inside the "Robot
Space".
Brief Description of Drawings
In drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a vision-guided robot;
Fig. 2 is a flow chart illustrating the calibration of the camera mount-
ed on the robot arm;
Fig. 3 is a flow chart illustrating the method of teaching the object
features and handling path; and
Fig. 4 is a flow chart illustrating the method of object positioning and
handling.
Description
Throughout the following description, specific details are set forth in
order to provide a more thorough understanding of the invention. However, the
invention may be practiced without these particulars. In other instances, well
known
elements have not been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily
obscuring
the invention. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded
in an
illustrative, rather than a restrictive, sense.

CA 02369845 2002-O1-31
-4-
Fig. 1 shows a robot 10 having a manipulating arm 12 and attached
tool 24 with camera 16 mounted thereon. Tool 14 is designed to manipulate a
part or
target object 18. Camera 16 is preferably a commercially available digital
video
camera.
The method is performed in three main steps described as follows:
a) calibration of the camera;
b) teaching the targets on the object; and
c) finding the position of the object and use the robot for han-
dung;
Calibration
In the following discussion the following terms have the following
meanings:
Transformation: three-dimensional rotation & translation between
two spaces;
Tool: the tool the robot is using for performing the handling;
Camera Space: a space rigid to the camera ;
Camera calibration intrinsic parameters: focal length, image center,
real pixel size, radial distortion for the lens;
Camera calibration extrinsic parameters: rotation & translation of an
external space relative to the camera space.
The calibration process involves i) finding the camera intrinsic
parameter and ii) the position of the camera relative to the tool of the robot
( "hand
- eye " calibration ). The position of the camera in the " user space ", which
is a
space rigid to the place where the object will be trained is also determined.
An
explanation of the basic calibration algorithms and descriptions of the
variables can
be found in the following publications:
"An Efficient and Accurate Camera Calibration Technique for
3D Machine Vision", Roger Y. Tsai, Proceedings of IEEE
Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition,
Miami Beach, FL, 1986, pages 364-374;
"A Versatile Camera Calibration Technique for High-Accuracy
3D Machine Vision Metrology Using Off the-Shelf TV Cam-

CA 02369845 2002-O1-31
- -
eras and Lenses", Roger Y. Tsai, IEEE Journal of Robotics
and Automation, Vol. RA-3, No. 4, August 1987, pages 323-
344.
"Tsar s Camera Calibration Method Revisited"
http: //www. ai.mit. edu/people/bkph/papers/tsaiexplain. pdf
Tsars camera model is based on the pin hole model of perspective
projection. Given the position of a point in 3D world coordinates the model
predicts
the position of the point's image in 2D pixel coordinates. Tsars model has 11
parameters: five internal (also called intrinsic or interior) parameters:
i) f - effective focal length of the pin hole camera;
ii) kappal - 1st order radial lens distortion coefficient;
iii and iv) Cx, Cy - coordinates of center of radial lens distortion and
the piercing point of the camera coordinate frame's Z axis
with the camera's sensor plane;
v) sx - scale factor to account for any uncertainty due to
framegrabber horizontal scanline resampling,
and six external (also called extrinsic or exterior) parameters:
i) Rx, Ry, Rz - rotation angles for the transform between the
world and camera coordinate frames, and
ii) Tx, Ty, Tz - translational components for the transform
between the world and camera coordinate frames.
The internal parameters describe how the camera forms an image
while the external parameters describe the camera's pose (i.e. position and
orienta-
tion) in the world coordinate frame. Calibration data for the model consists
of 3D
(x,y,z) world coordinates of a feature point (in mm for example) and
corresponding
2D coordinates (Xf,Yf) (typically in pixels) of the feature point in the
image. Two
forms of calibration are possible:
coplanar - the calibration points lie in a single plane in 3D, and
non-coplanar - the calibration points occupy a 3D volume.
As illustrated in Fig. 2, the first step in calibration is to position the
camera on the robot arm so it is orthogonal to the template ( using the mirror
approa-
ch), and defining the "User Frame" for the robot aligned with the template
used for
calibration. Next the camera intrinsic parameter and the "Camera - > User
Frame "

CA 02369845 2002-O1-31
-6-
transformation are computed considering the user frame. Next, the "Camera - >
Tool" transformation is computed using the "Camera -> User Frame " transforma-
tion and inquiring the robot about the "Tool "position in "User Frame" .
Teaching
Teaching the object is the process of
a) selection from the object's image of a set of at least 6 features,
and memorizing the "description" of the features and the relative positions in
the
image. Features can be edges, holes, corners, blobs ( extracted from the image
) or
simply a region of the image witch will be used in a pattern match. First, a
large
unique feature is selected to be considered anchor feature. The other selected
features are small features relative to the first one;
b) Real world coordinates are computed for the selected features.
The object is located in the user space so by using the features' height
relative to the
bottom of the object, the 3D position of the object features inside the user
space can
be computed using the position in the image and the "user space" to camera
transfor-
mation calculated at calibration. All these coordinates are rearranged in a
space con-
nected to the object ( the first feature is the origin ) and aligned with the
"user
space" .
c) Also an object frame will be defined as rigid to the object, in a
position selected by the user.
d) The object frame (computed in tool coordinates) is sent to the
robot to be considered as the working space. To find this frame position, the
transformation from object space to camera is used, then from camera to tool.
e) Relative to that space the operator can train the handling path
for the robot.
f) Steps c) and d) above can be eliminated and line teaching of the
path used instead, since the object frame can be positioned anywhere relative
to the
object. The CAD model of the object can than be used to define the handling
path.
As illustrated in Fig. 3, the first step in teaching the object features is
to put the object in the "User Frame " space and capture an image with the
robot in
the calibration position ( where the "Camera - > User Frame " transformation
was
calculated ). Next, at least one anchor feature is selected from the image and
a set
of at least 5 other visible features is selected. The 3D position of each
feature is then
calculated in "User Frame " using the height of the feature relative to the
object base

CA 02369845 2002-O1-31
plane and " Camera -> User Frame" transformation. An "Object Space " is then
defined aligned with the "User Frame " but connected to the object and the 3D
coordinates of the features are transposed into that space. The "Object Space -
>
Camera " transformation is computed using the 3D position of the features
inside this
space and the position in the image by computing an extrinsic calibration
using the
camera calibration from the previous step using the Tsai method referenced
above.
Next an "Object Frame" inside "Object Space " is defined to be used for
teaching the
handling path. This Object Frame position and orientation in "Tool Frame" is
com-
puted using the transformation from "Object Frame- > Camera " and "Camera - >
Tool". The "Object Frame " is then sent to the robot and the handling path is
trained inside this space.
1. Object finding & positioning
To carry out object fording and positioning, a) the robot is positioned
in any predefined position above the bin with objects. b) An image of the
object is
snapped. c) The trained features are searched using a first search for the
anchor
feature. Using the position and orientation of the anchor the rest of the
relative
features can be found. This approach allows similar features to be selected as
features are searched in a relatively small region of interest. d) The
position (in the
image and in the object space) of the found features (at least 6) are used to
calculate
the transformation between the object space and the camera space using an
extrinsic
calibration algorithm. ( see the Tsai article above). The found position is
used to
reorient the camera to "look" to the object from a position close to the one
used at
training. This last step is necessary mostly if the object has major
rotations, so the
features are distorted and the found position is not completely accurate.
Steps repeat
c) and d) above are repeated. e) The previous space transformation is used in
conjunction with the "camera to tool " transformation to find the position of
the
object frame in tool space. f) The object frame is then sent to the robot to
be used as
the space for performing the handling;
With reference to Fig. 4, the steps to carry out object finding and
positioning are illustrated. First the robot is positioned in a predefined
position
above the bin with the target object. If no object is in the field of view,
the robot is
moved until an anchor feature is found in the image. Next the position and
orienta-
tion of the anchor feature is used to compute the position of the rest of the
features.

CA 02369845 2002-O1-31
The position of all the visible features in the image is found. With the
positions of
features from the image and their correspondent position in "Object Space"
calculated in the training session) the camera calibration is used to compute
the
transformation between the "Object Space " and "Camera Space ". The camera
extrinsic calibration is used as described in the Tsai article referenced
above.
Next the transformation described above is used to calculate the
movement of the robot to position the camera so that it "looks" orthogonal to
the
object, namely the same position as in training. In this way all the features
will be as
similar as possible to the ones at training. This will make the recognition
and
positioning more accurate. Next the "Object Space -> Camera Space" transforma-
tion is found in the same way as in the previous step (using the features
positions).
The object frame memorized at training is computed using the found
transformation
and "Camera - > Tool " transformation. Next, the commuted "Object Frame" is
sent
to the robot. The "Tool" position is used to define the frame in "Robot Space"
. The
trained handling is performed on the object inside this space.
Thus methods for teaching robots and handling of objects by robots in
three dimensions using one camera mounted on the robot arm are disclosed in
which
targets are used on objects. The targets are normal features of the object. It
is not
necessary to use the CAD design of the object according to this method. The
objects
are not fixed in fixtures and axe not searched for in a. specific place. While
the
method has been described for one trained object, the process can be used in
the
same manner to first recognize the object and then find its location in three
dimen-
sions. Also the method has been described for one visible set of features
selected on
one side of the object, but it can be extended to all the sides that can
appear in a
working situation.
As will be apparent to those skilled in the art in the light of the
foregoing disclosure, many alterations and modifications are possible in the
practice
of this invention without departing from the spirit or scope thereof.
Accordingly, the
scope of the invention is to be construed in accordance with the substance
defined by
the following claims.

Dessin représentatif
Une figure unique qui représente un dessin illustrant l'invention.
États administratifs

Pour une meilleure compréhension de l'état de la demande ou brevet qui figure sur cette page, la rubrique Mise en garde , et les descriptions de Brevet , États administratifs , Taxes périodiques et Historique des paiements devraient être consultées.

États administratifs

Titre Date
Date de délivrance prévu Non disponible
(22) Dépôt 2002-01-31
(41) Mise à la disponibilité du public 2003-07-31
Requête d'examen 2004-02-25
Demande morte 2011-01-31

Historique d'abandonnement

Date d'abandonnement Raison Reinstatement Date
2010-02-01 Taxe périodique sur la demande impayée
2010-02-25 Taxe finale impayée

Historique des paiements

Type de taxes Anniversaire Échéance Montant payé Date payée
Le dépôt d'une demande de brevet 300,00 $ 2002-01-31
Enregistrement de documents 100,00 $ 2002-05-29
Enregistrement de documents 100,00 $ 2002-05-29
Taxe de maintien en état - Demande - nouvelle loi 2 2004-02-02 100,00 $ 2003-12-31
Requête d'examen 800,00 $ 2004-02-25
Taxe de maintien en état - Demande - nouvelle loi 3 2005-01-31 100,00 $ 2004-12-31
Taxe de maintien en état - Demande - nouvelle loi 4 2006-01-31 100,00 $ 2006-01-30
Taxe de maintien en état - Demande - nouvelle loi 5 2007-01-31 200,00 $ 2007-01-18
Taxe de maintien en état - Demande - nouvelle loi 6 2008-01-31 200,00 $ 2007-12-31
Taxe de maintien en état - Demande - nouvelle loi 7 2009-02-02 200,00 $ 2009-01-27
Enregistrement de documents 100,00 $ 2009-03-19
Titulaires au dossier

Les titulaires actuels et antérieures au dossier sont affichés en ordre alphabétique.

Titulaires actuels au dossier
BRAINTECH, INC.
Titulaires antérieures au dossier
BRAINTECH CANADA, INC.
BRAINTECH, INC.
HABIBI, BABAK
PESCARU, SIMONA
Les propriétaires antérieurs qui ne figurent pas dans la liste des « Propriétaires au dossier » apparaîtront dans d'autres documents au dossier.
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Description du
Document 
Date
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Nombre de pages   Taille de l'image (Ko) 
Dessins représentatifs 2002-06-06 1 12
Page couverture 2003-07-14 1 34
Description 2002-01-31 8 440
Abrégé 2002-01-31 1 12
Revendications 2005-12-02 4 182
Revendications 2006-02-02 4 187
Revendications 2002-01-31 2 73
Revendications 2008-03-20 4 210
Description 2008-03-20 8 430
Revendications 2009-01-23 4 222
Dessins 2008-03-20 4 101
Dessins représentatifs 2009-08-25 1 11
Correspondance 2002-02-28 1 32
Cession 2002-01-31 2 114
Cession 2002-05-29 4 194
Taxes 2003-12-31 1 33
Poursuite-Amendment 2006-05-08 2 60
Taxes 2006-02-02 2 50
Poursuite-Amendment 2006-02-02 8 277
Correspondance 2006-02-02 5 123
Correspondance 2006-02-22 1 15
Correspondance 2006-02-22 1 17
Correspondance 2006-02-22 1 19
Taxes 2006-01-30 1 33
Poursuite-Amendment 2004-02-25 1 35
Correspondance 2005-12-02 3 66
Poursuite-Amendment 2005-12-02 6 223
Correspondance 2005-12-20 1 20
Taxes 2006-02-02 2 49
Correspondance 2006-03-13 1 28
Poursuite-Amendment 2006-11-08 6 272
Poursuite-Amendment 2007-09-20 4 140
Poursuite-Amendment 2008-03-20 18 758
Poursuite-Amendment 2008-07-24 2 59
Poursuite-Amendment 2009-01-23 9 444
Cession 2009-03-19 10 488
Taxes 2009-01-27 1 41